Trailing only grapes, strawberries are the second largest non-citrus fruit specialty crop in the United States, with 2011 production values at $2,204,235,000 (USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 2012). Strawberry production involves repeated-fruit bearing and multiple harvests per season, making strawberries the highest tonnage per acre (25 tons/acre) crop among all fruits (USDA NASS 2012).
Strawberries are consumed fresh, as well as processed into many foods, such as ice cream, yogurt, juices, jams, jellies, and baked goods. For strawberries harvested for the processing market, the calyx (the stem cap with green crown leaves) must be removed before freezing to prevent the final product from containing any inedible crown leaves or caps. Currently, field-harvesters use a hand-held cutting tool to remove the calyx. This especially labor-intensive process add an additional 45-50% to the time required for fruit picking. In addition, the strawberry growers face significant challenges in finding field workers willing to use the sharp hazardous instruments for harvesting. Furthermore, the cutting tools are reused many times without sanitizing which may serve as a vehicle for pathogen contamination.
By relocating the calyx removal process from the fields to the processing plants, this new practice is capable of cutting the field labor time significantly, improving overall management and logistics, and increasing throughput and yield. The strawberry industry has expressed interest in the development of an automated calyx removal system.